Persian Words in English

C

calabash 

from Pers. kharabuz, Kharbuzeh

cameo 

from Pers. chumahan "agate."

carafe 

probably from Pers. qarabah "a large flagon." or Ar. ghurruf "drinking cup"

caravan 

from kārawān =("to go")

isambiguation%29&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&sbid=lc01b" >Casper 

from Persian Jasper

cassock 

probably ult. from Pers. kazhagand "padded coat," from kazh "raw silk" + agana "stuffed."

caviar 

from Kh�g-�var ("bringer of eggs")

chador 

from ch�dor "tent"

check 

check (n.) from O.Fr. eschequier "a check at chess," from eschec, from V.L. *scaccus, from Ar. shah, from Pers. shah "king," the principal piece in a chess game (see shah). When the king is in check a player's choices are limited. Meaning widened from chess to general sense of "adverse event, sudden stoppage" and by c.1700 to "a token used to check against loss or theft" (surviving in hat check) and "a check against forgery or alteration," which gave the modern financial use of "bank check, money draft" (first recorded 1798), probably influenced by exchequeur. Check-up "careful examination" is 1921, Amer.Eng., on notion of a checklist of things to be examined.

checkmate 

from Middle French eschec mat, from Arabic shah mat, from Persian sh�h m�t (="the King cannot escape/is dead")

chess 

from Russian Shach, from Persian shah ("the King"), an abbreviation of Sh�h-m�t (Checkmate).

cinnabar 

probably from Pers. zanjifrah

Cumin 

from Kerman

cummerbund 

from Hindi kamarband, from Persian, from kamar (="waist") + band (="band")

Cyrus

from Persian Kurosh, diminutive: Cy

D

Darius Daryoosh

demi-tasse 

from Fr., lit. "half-cup," from demi- + tasse, an O.Fr. borrowing from Arabic tassah, from Pers. tasht "cup, saucer".

dervish 

from Darvish

divan 

via Turkish divan, from Persian dēvān (="place of assembly", "roster"), from Old Persian dipi (="writing, document") + vahanam (="house")

E

Esther

from Persian setareh, its diminutives are: Ess, Essie, Tess, Tessie.

Euphrates

Euphrates 

O.E. Eufrate, from Gk., from Avestan (Old-Iranian) huperethuua "good to cross over," from hu- "good" + peretu- "ford."

F

Farsi 

the local name for Persian in Persian.

Feringhee 

from Pers. Farangi: from the word French: a person from France: the first foreigners that significantly influenced the goverment under the Ghajar dynasty in Iran.

firman 

from Persian فرمان farm�n ("decree", "order").

G

galingale 

from Persian خلنجان khalanjan, a plant.

Georgia

from Persian Gurjistan.

gherkin 

possibly ult. from Medieval Gk. angourion "a kind of cucumber," said to be from Pers. angarah

giaour 

from Pers. gaur, variant of gabr "fire-worshipper,"

guitar 

from ancient Greek kithara, perhaps from Persian sitaar "Three snares".

H

henna 

Zie ( http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Persian&s earchmode=none).

Hindu 

from Pers. Hindu "Indian"

I

India

from Persian Hind.

J

jackal 

from Persian shaghāl, Any of several doglike mammals of the genus Canis of Africa and southern Asia that are mainly foragers feeding on plants, small animals, and occasionally carrion.

jasmine 

from yasmin, the name of a climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Variant Jasmin.

isambiguation%29&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&sbid=lc01b" >Jasper (boy's name)

from Persian meaning "treasure master".

Jasper (stone)

from Persian Yashp

jujube 

from Pers. zayzafun meaning "soft candy with date-like flavor"

julep 

from gulab (rose-water).

K

kabob 

possibly from Persian kabab, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish

Kaftan 

from Persian خفتان khaft�n.

Kazakhstan 

Uses Persian suffix -stan

khaki 

from khaki (="made from soil", "dusty" or "of the colour of soil"), from khak (= "soil"),

Khedive 

via Turkish from Pers. khidiv "prince," derivative of khuda "master, prince," from Old-Persian khvadata- "lord,"

kiosk 

from kushk (="palace, portico, pavilion") or Middle Persian gō�ak "corner"

Koh-i-Noor 

from Pers. koh "mountain" + Ar. nur "light."

Kyrgyzstan 

With Persian suffix -stan

L

lacquer 

through Ar. lakk, from Pers. lak from Prakrit lakkhā from Sanskrit lākşā "red dye"

lemon 

possibly from Persian limon, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish

lilac 

from Pers. lilak, variant of nilak "bluish," from nil "indigo"

M

magic 

from magus from Old Persian magu� "mighty one"

• magus 

  from Old Persian magu� "mighty one"

  • magi 

    from magus from Old Persian magu� "mighty one"

manticore 

from O. Pers. word for "man eater," cf. martiya- "man" + root of khvar- "to eat."

Mausoleum

from the name of a Persian satrap

Mihrab

from Persian Mihr (the God Mithra)

Mithra

from the name of the Persian God Mithra.

Mithraeum

from Persian Mithra

Mithraism

mogul 

from mughul (="Mongolian")

Mosque

through Arabic masjid from Middle-Persian mazgat (House of worship)

Mother

from maadar

mummy 

from Pers. mumiya "asphalt," from mum "wax."

musk 

ultimately from Middle Persian musk, from Sanskrit muska (="testicle") from diminutive of mus (="mouse")

Mussulman 

from Pers. musulman (adj.), from Arabic muslim (q.v.) + Persian adj. suffix -an.

must (n)

via Urdu mast "intoxicated, in rut," from Pers. mast, lit. "intoxicated"

N

naphtha 

via L., from Gk. naphtha "bitumen," perhaps from Pers. naft "oil", "pitch,"

narcissus 

may be from Persian nargis (may also be a Pelasgian word)

O

orange  

from Milanese narans, from Arabic nāranj, from Persian nārang, from Sanskrit nāraṅga, from some Dravidian language, possibly Tamil or Malayalam

P

pagoda 

via Portugeese pagode, from a corruption of Pers. butkada, from but "idol" + kada "dwelling."

pajamas

from Hindi paajaama, from Persian pā� (pā�) jāmah, from pAy (="leg") + jAma (="garment")

Pahlavi 

from Pahlavi.

paradise 

from Greek paradeisos (=enclosed park"), from Old Persian pairidaeza (="enclosure, park"), from pairi (="around") + diz (="mold, form")

parasang 

from Old-Persian parasang

pard 

Zie ( http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Iranian&s earchmode=none)

Parsee 

from P�rsi

Pasha 

from P�dsh�h

Pashmina 

from Pashmineh, made from pashm; pashm (= "wool")

peach 

a corruption of the Latin word "Persicum." Peaches are called in Latin malum Persicum (Persian apple) prunum persicum (Persian plum), or simply persicum (pl. persici). This should not be confused with the more modern Linnaean classification Prunus persica, a neologism describing the peach tree itself (from the Latin prunus, -i which signifies "plum tree").

Peri 

from pari

Persepolis 

from P�rsa+ Greek polis.

Persis 

from P�rs

pilaf 

from pilav (modern Persian speakers say pillaw or polo)

pistachio 

from Latin pistācium, from Greek πιστάκιον, from Persian pistah

popinjay 

from O.Fr. papegai (12c.), from Sp. papagayo, from Ar. babagha', from Pers. babgha "parrot,"

Punjab 

via Hindi Panjab, from Pers. panj "five" + ab "water."

R

roc 

from Persian rukh (name of a legendary bird)

rook 

from Middle English rok, from Middle French roc, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian رخ rukh (=chess piece)

Rose 

from Latin rosa, probably from ancient Greek rhodon, possibly ult. from Pers. *varda-. Zie ( http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Persia&se archmode=none)

Roxana

from Persian: روشنك Roshanak, meaning "little star" its variants in English are meaning "dawn." Variants include, Roxane and Roxanne. Diminutives are Roxie and Roxy.

S

saffron 

Zaferoon

Satrap

from Persian Shatrap and Shahrab.

scarlet 

from Pers. saqirlat "a type of red cloth"

scimitar 

from Pers. shimshir (Shamshir)

seersucker 

from Hindi sirsakar, E. Indian corruption of Pers. shir o shakkar "striped cloth," lit. "milk and sugar".

Sepoy

from Persian Sipahi via Urdu

seraglio 

from sar�y "inn"

serendipity 

from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, from Persian Sarandip (="Sri Lanka"),

shah 

from shāh, from Old Persian χ�āya�iya (="king"), from an Old Persian verb meaning "to rule"

Shamshir 

from shamshir

shawl 

from shāl

simurgh 

from simurgh

Sipahis

from Persian Sipahi via Turkish

sitar 

via Hindi sitar, from Pers. sitar "three-stringed," from si "three" (O.Pers. thri-) + tar "string"

sowar

from Persian Sav�r.

spinach 

from French espinache, from Arabic isfānākh, from Persian from isfānāj, ispānāk, or aspanākh

-stan 

from -ist�n "place" or "where one stands"

Sumac 

possibly from Persian Sumak.

T

tabor 

probably from Middle Pers. tambūr "lute"

taffeta 

from Pers. taftah "silk or linen cloth,"

Tajikistan 

With Persian suffix -stan

Taj Mahal 

from Pers., lit. "the best of buildings;" or "the Crown's Place", second element related to Arabic halla "to lodge."

talc 

from Pers. talk "talc."

tambourine 

from Middle French tambour (="drum"), possibly from Middle Pers. tambūr "lute"

tandoori 

from Pers. tannur "oven, portable furnace,"

tapestry 

from t�fteh

Tartar 

from M.L. Tartarus, from Pers. Tatar

tiger 

via Greek tigris from an Iranian source

toque 

from O. Pers. taq "veil, shawl."

tulip 

from French tulipe, from Turkish t�lbend, from Persian dulband

Turan 

from Persian توران

turban 

via Turkish t�lbend, from Persian dulband

Turkmenistan 

With Persian suffix -stan

Turkoman 

from M.L. Turcomannus, from Pers. Turkman, lit. "Turk-like," from Turk + Persian suffix -man "like."

typhoon 

طوفان from Persian Tuf�n or Greek Typhon; also affected by Cantonese taai-fung

U

Uzbekistan 

With Persian suffix -stan

V

vizier 

وزير from persian Vizier "minister" from Middle-Persian Vichir. cf. also Arabic Wazir.

X

Xerxes 

Gk. form of O. Pers. Kshayarshan-, lit. "male (i.e. 'hero') among kings," from Kshaya- "king" (cf. shah) + arshan "male, man."

Z

Zarathushtra or Zarathustra 

the Persian prophet

Zena 

girl's name from Persian Zan (woman).

zircon 

from zarg�n (="gold colour")

zirconium 

from zarg�n (="gold colour")

Zoroaster 

from Persian Zarathushtra

Zoroastrianism

Some sites dealing with Pewrsian Language, origins and influences....

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/persian_parsi _language_history.php

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/iranian_influ ence_turkish_literature.php

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/iranian_poetr y_european_poets.php

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/language_of_a rmies.php

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/l/li/list_of_e nglish_words_of_persian_origin.htm

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/articles/islam_poetry_ iran1.php

even though no written record of it exists. The word for father, for example, is vater in German, pater in Latin,  pitr in Sanskrit and pedar in Farsi.. These words are all cognates, similar words in different languages that share the same root.

Mother comes from Proto-Germanic *mod�r. In about 725 it was modor, and in 1125 it was moder; by the early 15th century it was mother. There are many cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Old Frisian moder, Old Saxon modar, and Old High German muoter. The Indo-European source for mother is ultimately *mater-, which is strikingly similar to Latin mater, which in turn is very similar to the Iranian word madar.

Orange

The name of the fruit was NARANJ in Sanskrit. This language was spoken in ancient India. Indians traded with Arabs, so the word passed into Arabic as NARANJAH. The Spaniards were ruled by north African Arabs who passed the fruit and word into Spanish as NARANJA (pronounced as NARANHA).

This came into English where the fruit was a NARANJ. Words ending in J are not common in English so the spelling quickly changed to a NARANGE.

The initial N moved to the a because of mis-hearing to give an ARANGE (this is called metanalysis).

Over time, the initial A became an O to give an ORANGE.

Checkmate

This is a term in chess. It is from the Farsi language spoken in Iran and Afghanistan. The original phrase is SHAH-K-MATE (every syllable pronounced) which means "The King is Dead".

The word SHAH means a "king" as in the last monarch (or SHAH) of Iran. MATE has the same root as the English "murder" and the Spanish "matador" (killer).

The word came via French (where the SH became a CH) and into English where the MA-TE (two syllables) became MATE (one syllable) to give CHECKMATE.